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When the property became the offices of Bouhan, Williams & Levy law firm in 1970, Herschel V. Jenkins Hall was demolished to make room for parking. Numerous non-structural modifications were made throughout to accommodate the law practice. With the restoration of the property begun in 2017 (see below), the gardens and a portion of the carriage house has been recreated.
311:, and sunporch. The exterior materials are granite and glazed brick. Bronze entry doors were fabricated by Bonachek of New York, with other doors in steel with bronze hardware. Windows were fabricated of steel and bronze by International Casement Company, now Hope Windows, which features the home in its promotional materials.
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style with interior elements of various established and experimental styles. The ten-bedroom home has nearly 26,000 square feet of living area. It is three stories over a full garden level with
Granite balustraded terraces at each level. A broad hemicycle colonnade extending toward Bull Street offers
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The attached carriage house was also three stories, having two garage bays designed for automobiles with front and rear entrances from the street or from the alley (or “lane” as they are called in
Savannah). Living quarters were between and above the garages. The street entrances thus approached the
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The landscape plan consisted of two formal yards on either side of a wide graduated approach to the front entrance, orchestrated to match the grandeur of the main hall. The effect in front carried through to the rear, where a second entrance under the porte-cochere faced a large rear garden. Front
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With the acquisition of the
Armstrong mansion in 1935 for the home of a city college, initially named Armstrong Junior College, the need for facilities led to the demolition of most of the carriage house and gardens and the construction of Herschel V. Jenkins Hall, also designed by Henrik Wallin.
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The main hall was designed with
Italian limestone claddings, ornate plaster ceilings, and cornices. Floor-length windows, cornices, panels, friezes, and details reflecting a range of styles are found throughout the interior. Rooms drew from various period styles, including
425:, who acquired the mansion in 2017, commissioned a complete restoration of the Armstrong property. The structure, interior, and Italianate landscape are being restored as closely as possible to the original design with original materials. The architect and urban designer
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developed the master plan for restoration. Interiors have been carried out by the designer Chuck
Chewning. The plan includes a two-story recreation of the carriage house and the addition of a reflecting pool centered on the carriage house. The
270:. Six city lots were acquired to build the Armstrong mansion, and two existing houses were demolished to make room for the 26,000-square-foot structure. The entire site, including carriage house and grounds, is 0.5 acres.
214:. Threatened with demolition, the Historic Savannah Foundation purchased the Armstrong House along with five other threatened historic buildings from the college for $ 235,000 in 1967. Once saved,
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The
Armstrong Kessler Mansion setting has appeared frequently in popular culture. The house was used as the school of the protagonist's daughter in
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356:. The house was fully electrified, with a central vacuum system, recirculating hot water, and a ten-port shower in the master bathroom.
210:(1868–1924). It was owned by the Armstrong family from 1919 to 1935. Afterward, the structure and grounds served as the campus of
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who restored it as his home. Eventually, both were sold to a major
Savannah law firm as offices. The mansion was featured in
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https://www.savannahnow.com/news/2018-02-03/century-savannah-history-richard-kessler-returning-armstrong-mansion-residential
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Nussbaum, Katie. “A century of
Savannah history: Richard Kessler returning Armstrong mansion to residential roots.”
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sold the
Mansion (and Hershel V. Jenkins Hall) at the exact purchase price to preservationist and antique dealer
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carriage house through the garden creating a circular drive, with one side passing through the porte-cochere.
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Sottile, Christian. “Armstrong
Kessler Mansion - Renovation of A Savannah Icon.” Video documentation.
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From the Mansion to the University: A History of Armstrong Atlantic State University 1935-2010
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and rear grounds were enclosed with 200 feet of ornate iron fencing resembling that of
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206:. The structure was built between 1917 and 1919 for the home of Savannah magnate
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Kigar, Taylor. “Houses with History.” Savannah.com. Posted on August 15, 2014
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Armstrong Kessler Mansion history and restoration video documentation
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262:. Other notable structures on Bull Street in Monterey Ward are the
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Kigar, “Houses with History”; “Savannah Scenes: Cape Fear (1962)”.
395:. The house also appeared as the real-life law office of attorney
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609:“Savannah Scenes: Cape Fear (1962).” Bonnie Blue Tours Blog.
627:. Savannah, Ga.: Armstrong Atlantic State University, 2010.
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Sottile, “Armstrong Kessler Mansion” video documentation.
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Sottile, “Armstrong Kessler Mansion” video documentation.
405:, a 1997 American crime drama film based on the novel by
258:), one of twenty-four wards laid out in the form of
578:“House of George F. Armstrong, Savannah, Georgia.”
565:Sottile, “Armstrong Mansion” video documentation.
254:. It is in Monterey Ward (the center of which is
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421:The present owner, the preservationist-hotelier
27:Mansion in Savannah, Georgia, built around 1919
240:Savannah's National Historic Landmark District
277:A view of the mansion from Bull Street, 1919.
18:Armstrong Kessler Mansion (Savannah, Georgia)
587:http://www.savannah.com/houses-with-history/
238:The Armstrong Kessler Mansion is located in
674:1917 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
618:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwefrBGL70c
379:, the 1962 psychological thriller starring
330:Site plan of the mansion and grounds, 1919.
547:Nussbaum, “A century of Savannah history.”
286:The mansion was designed by the architect
198:) is a nationally significant example of
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591:McAlester, Virginia and Lee McAlester.
448:Buildings in Savannah Historic District
402:Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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582:. Vol. CXVI, No. 2276, August 6, 1919.
659:Office buildings in Savannah, Georgia
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260:James Oglethorpe's original town plan
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202:architectural style located in the
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595:. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.
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303:that opens into a side garden, an
299:. Other design features include a
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593:A Field Guide to American Houses
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479:“House of George F. Armstrong,”
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200:Italian Renaissance Revival
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669:Savannah Historic District
602:online, February 3, 2018.
204:Savannah Historic District
620:(accessed March 5, 2019).
613:(accessed March 5, 2019).
606:(accessed March 1, 2019).
525:McAlester and McAlester,
466:McAlester and McAlester,
208:George Ferguson Armstrong
192:Armstrong Kessler Mansion
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212:Armstrong Junior College
640:- YouTube, June 6, 2018
226:in 1919, and listed in
174:Design and construction
580:The American Architect
481:The American Architect
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224:The American Architect
600:Savannah Morning News
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268:Temple Mickve Israel
44:The building in 2017
194:(formerly known as
116:32.0706°N 81.0954°W
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62:General information
423:Richard C. Kessler
369:In popular culture
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154:Richard C. Kessler
427:Christian Sottile
321:Buckingham Palace
234:Location and site
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161:Technical details
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16:(Redirected from
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393:Polly Bergen
385:Gregory Peck
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297:Forsyth Park
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264:Mercer House
252:Forsyth Park
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179:Architect(s)
156:(since 2017)
54:Former names
417:Restoration
352:, and even
244:Bull Street
166:Floor count
119: /
94:Coordinates
87:Bull Street
648:Categories
107:81°05′43″W
104:32°04′14″N
376:Cape Fear
346:Adamesque
230:in 1984.
132:Completed
442:See also
350:Jacobean
342:Georgian
305:orangery
71:Savannah
67:Location
246:across
242:at 447
140: (
82:Address
75:Georgia
529:, 406.
391:, and
309:loggia
77:, U.S.
454:Notes
250:from
150:Owner
514:Ibid
502:Ibid
266:and
190:The
142:1918
135:1918
85:447
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